


Home is Where the Stars Shine

by itislacey



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, Plantboy!Phil, Smut, Spaceboy!Dan, magic maybe?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-07 11:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7714042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itislacey/pseuds/itislacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan is from space. Phil is from the earth. Each have magic relating to their origins, but no one must know about them. But when Dan and Phil’s paths cross, both find it rather difficult to keep their secrets hidden. Especially since the world keeps drawing them closer together. Because what is it they say? Opposites attract? Ft. Spaceboy!Dan and Plantboy!Phil</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to my next chaptered fic! I don't have my other chaptered works posted on this site, mostly because I'm too lazy to upload them, but they are on Tumblr (@itislacey) if you're interested. I hope you enjoy this fic! It's been a long time since I have done a long one :)

Where there was a star, there was a wish.

Only a day before Daniel was born, his parents wished upon the brightest star in the sky that night, and they were so thankful it came true. They were given a happy and healthy baby boy, one of whom would love the vast universe and all it had to offer.

When Dan was five, he had a thing for the nighttime. He would sleep for a majority of the day, but as soon as the sunset, he would be wide awake, ready to play and explore the world. On summer nights, he would go outside with his mum and dad, catching fireflies on his bare hands.

“Look, mummy! I caught one!” he would squeal, showing his mum each bug he caught on his hands. It’s bottom lit up green, and Dan giggled, shaking his hand and letting the bug fly off.

“Good job, Daniel! Go catch some more,” his mum would encourage, and so he did. He would play outside for hours at a time, not growing tired despite it being nighttime. And oddly enough, his parents were the same way. But this was something Dan didn’t notice until he was in his early teens.

“Why don’t we ever do anything in the daytime?” Dan asked at age thirteen. “I don’t get it.”

“We’re night owls, honey. We spend our days asleep and our nights awake. Why? Don’t you like the nighttime?” his mum asked.

Dan pursed his lips. “I do. I was just curious as to why we hardly ever see the sun. Kids at school make fun of me for being so pale,” he said with a frown.

His mum walked over to him, placing one finger under his chin and raising his head up. “Ignore them, Dan. You are beautiful just the way you are. Your skin is the color of the stars; radiant and bright. As long as you love yourself, other people’s opinions of you should not matter.”

Dan smiled, despite himself. “Thanks, mum. I love you.”

“And I, you,” she said, pulling him in for a tight hug.

It wasn’t until Dan was eighteen, that his whole world changed, and he found out the real reason for his night owl behavior and his star colored skin.

“Where did we come from?” Dan asked, his voice a bit choked. He sat in front of his mum and dad at the kitchen table, arms folded and heart pounding.

“We came from above,” his mum said, looking at the sky through the small window in the roof. The stars twinkled above them, almost as if they were twinkling for them. “We are made of stars, Daniel. It is why we are so light colored and prefer the night.”

“Is everyone made from stars?” Dan asked.

His father chuckled, shaking his head. “Not everyone, but some. Most still live in the sky in the galaxies, only showing up to light up the sky for humans.”

“But why don’t we live in the sky? If we are stars?”

“Because we wanted you to experience more than just the sky,” his mum said, placing one hand over his. “Up there, you can’t experience the world below. But down here, you get the best of both worlds.”

Dan was confused. How did he get the best of both worlds down here? He only got to see the sky at night and spend time outside when it was dark. He barely even knew what it was like to be in the daytime, for when he got home from school, he went straight to bed and didn’t wake until late. “What do you mean?”

His mum looked at his dad, smiling at him. “Would you like to see what you’re capable of, Dan?”

Dan swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding, despite not knowing if that’s what he really wanted. But he was too curious to not know. He had to know what he was capable of.

His dad turned off all the lights in the home, leaving them all submerged in the darkness. “Ready?” his dad asked, and Dan nodded, shortly realizing they couldn’t see him.

“Yes,” he said, his voice strained.

In front of him, the darkness began to light up. Purple and blue formed out of nowhere, swirling together slowly, with specks of orange and black joining in. Next came the stars, surrounding them and being suspended in mid-air. It was a sight that took Dan’s breath away, literally.

“This is where you come from,” his mum whispered. “This is our galaxy. Like it?”

Dan said yes, or so he thought he did, but he was too mesmerized by the mini galaxy in his kitchen to actually care if he responded. It was beautiful and it was home. he felt calm, relaxed, even safe as he stared at the swirling colors.

“You can do this too,” his mum said. “It’s almost like magic. Will it, and it appears. Try it.”

So Dan did. His mum made her galaxy disappear, and let Dan try it on his own, and much to his surprise, it was easy. His galaxy was larger and more defined, despite never actually seeing his home in the sky. Stars and constellations formed all around him, and for the first time, he truly realized what it meant to be homesick. His home was not on the ground, but it was in the stars. It was where he belonged.

“Don’t cry, Daniel,” his mum whispered, suddenly next to him. She wiped the one tear that rolled down his cheek. “You can look at this any time you feel lost or afraid. It will always calm you, because it’s your origin story. It’s a part of you. The magic.”

The magic. Dan was magical. He supposed that’s where the story of wishing upon a star came from, because if a human did, their wish had a chance of coming true. Because Dan could actually make them come true. It was a strange and beautiful world he lived in.

“And you can soar anytime you like,” his dad suddenly said, a grin on his face. “Not very high, but you can float above the ground.”

“I can float?”

His parents chuckled, and his mum ran her fingers through Dan’s brown hair. “Of course,” his mum said. “Just don’t do it in front of humans. They don’t understand. Be careful who you trust. The world isn’t as safe as it used to be anymore.”

“You’re a secret, Dan,” his dad chimed in. “Don’t tell anyone of your magic or your real home.”

Just like that. Dan’s happiness dissolved into barely any. “Okay,” he whispered, closing the galaxy in front of him. “I’ll be a secret.”

\-----

Phil was born on the second to last sunrise on the first month. The sun streamed onto his skin, making it glow like a newborn baby should. His blue eyes reflected the baby blue sky he was born under, and his skin was soft like the clouds.

It was that moment that his mum knew he would be inseparable from the world he was born on. From the soil he was covered in.

At six years old, Phil had a thing for gardening. Every morning he would wake up with his mum, and go outside and help her garden. His tools were only plastic, but he felt like he was making a difference in the world with them. He would help plants seeds and keep the rabbits away from the plants.

Playing outside was something Phil looked forward to everyday, even if it rained. He would pull on his yellow boots and raincoat, and go play in the mud outside with the rabbits.

It was weird, actually, how the rabbits never seemed to run away from Phil. They usually hopped around with him, soaking in the pouring rain as he splashed in the mud puddles.

Phil just assumed they were friendly and liked him. Surely that’s all it was.

By twelve, Phil found out that a lot more than just bunnies were friendly. Soon, all kinds of deer and small, woodland creatures came scurrying through his yard, letting him pet and play with them.

His mum always watched through the kitchen window, a big smile plastered on her face as she watched her Earth-loving son play with wildlife.

She would tell him about his roots. Eventually.

Just as Phil was about to turn twenty, him mum finally gave him the gift he always liked the most: knowledge. Except this kind was a secret. One that no one else must know.

Phil could grow things. And no, not by planting seeds in the ground and waiting weeks for them to sprout. He would conjure up things from scratch. All it took was a little soil and some water, and there a plant would grow. Any of his choosing.

“Magic isn’t real, mum,” he said, staring at the patch of soil she lied out on the kitchen counter, along with the glass of water next to it.

“Who said anything about magic?” she said. “Now, try it. If you don’t like the results, then you never have to do it again. Okay?”

Phil sighed, nodding his head. “Fine. What do I do?”

“Just think. Think of a plant or a flower you like the most, and get the soil a bit wet. Believe you can do it, and it shall be true.”

Phil bit back a laugh, doing what his mum said anyways. He thought of a flower--one of his favorites--and dripped some water on the soil. At first, nothing happened. But as he stared at the soil and wished magic was real, a tiny stem appeared, and grew larger and larger until the petals took their shape at the end, folding and swirling inwards like roses do.

Phil’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at the newly grown flower in the middle of the kitchen counter. “I . . .”

“I knew you could do it. It’s our family secret,” his mum said, touching the rose petals.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Phil asked.

“I had to make sure you were old enough to understand it. And I wasn’t ready for you to grow up and discover your magic. You came from the earth, Phil. Nature runs through your veins. I love seeing you interact with the world and be the sun wherever you go. You were so unaware of your effect on people, and it was magical to me. To them. And they didn’t even know it. I didn’t want to knowledge of the magic inside of you to change your outlook on life. I’m sorry.”

Phil wrapped his arms around his mum, pulling her in tight. “Magic can’t change me, mum. I only I can. It’s okay. I understand why you did it.”

“I love you so much, Philip. You grew up to be the most wonderful son anyone could ever have. But you have to keep this a secret, okay?”

“Okay,” Phil said into her ear. “I’ll be a secret.”


	2. Chapter 2

Eight Years Later

 

Dan had always found it hard to fit in. And not just because his skin was shades paler than the average Englander. He was just never good at socialization, and that’s mostly because of the secret he had been forced to keep for years. He was afraid that if he got involved with the wrong person, he might accidentally tell them something he wasn’t supposed to. So he usually kept to himself and only talked to others if it was absolutely necessary. 

Today was his mum’s birthday. Dan hadn’t gotten her anything yet, and he supposed he should do so before she woke up. But she had always been hard to shop for. There are only so many space things you can get before she had seen it all, and nothing compared to their home galaxy. If Dan could get her a trip back, he totally would. But unfortunately, once you go down to Earth, there is no way to get back up into the sky. They were stuck. 

This year, Dan thought he would switch it up a bit and get her something native to this world instead of their own. Anything that grew from the ground could be a great gift, as it could only be found here, and it was opposite of where they came from. Just . . . Dan wasn’t good at picking out earthy things. Sure, he had lived here his whole life, but he was raised different than the humans here. His clock was opposite. Sleep during the day, be productive at night. 

This was the earliest Dan had ever been awake. Well, rather the latest he ever stayed up. It was nearing ten in the morning, which was a time he hadn’t seen since he graduated high school so many years ago. But he needed to get his mum a present, and everything was open during the day. Not the night, much to his dismay. 

Dan walked along the streets, searching for a shop that could possibly have what he was looking for. It appeared that everything was just opening, which Dan was rather happy about. That meant he didn’t have to deal with a lot of people. 

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, pausing in front of a shop called Blooming Love. It was a plant shop from the looks of it, and Dan thought the name to be a tad bit generic. But it was a place that sold things from Earth’s ground, so it would have to do. 

Dan trudged over to the front doors, pulling one open and stepping inside. The air was humid and gross, which made him feel out of place. He was used to cool temperatures and the chill of the wind. This . . . this was gross. How did humans stand to live in such conditions?

“Can I help you?” a male voice asked, causing Dan to jump. 

He turned around and was greeted by a man with jet black hair, who had to be at least six feet tall. 

Right around my height, Dan thought. 

“Sir?” the man repeated when Dan said nothing. 

“Uh . . .” Shit. Dan wasn’t good at this. He only ever talked to his parents and people his parents knew, and yes, he knew how to communicate, but it was very, very rare for Dan to talk to someone new. He hadn’t planned on doing this today. Most of the time when he bought something, talking wasn’t needed. He grabbed what he was looking for and checked out, no talking required. 

“Are you looking for something specific or just browsing?” the man asked, adjusting his hair. 

“B--browsing,” Dan stuttered out. 

“Alright. Let me know if you need anything, yeah?”

Dan nodded, and just as the man was about to walk away, Dan caught a glimpse of his nametag.

Phil. 

Phil felt odd when that man walked into the store. For one, he was as white as a sheet, which was a little disturbing. Not only that, but he seemed . . . out of place here. Plants were definitely not his thing, that much Phil could tell. 

He watched the boy from the back of his store, noting how he looked at the plants. He seemed to not like touching them, and that alone made Phil wonder. Usually he had a problem with everyone touching the plants. But this guy . . . He’d reach for them and draw his hand back quickly like it would poison him. 

Weird.

The boy roamed around the plant shop, wiping his forehead every so often and fixing his fringe. Phil thought he was rather cute, coming into the store alone to look at flowers. He must need them for something, but was too shy to ask Phil for assistance.

Phil followed him at a nice distance as he made his way to the roses, and Phil being as clumsy and unobservant as he usually was, tripped over a large fern, taking down a few pots on the shelf in front of him. The pots clattered to the floor, shattering as they hit the ground.

“Great,” Phil muttered, taking in the scene around him.

The boy stood in front of Phil, the sleeves to his black jumper pulled over his hands, giving him sweater paws. “Are you . . . okay?” he asked Phil.

Phil smiled at him, laughing. “Yeah, I’m good. Wasn’t watching where I was going, as usual. But that’s okay. I’ll clean up these pots and put the flowers elsewhere.” He stood up, brushing the soil and pot chunks off of him. 

So dirty, Dan thought to himself. How do humans like such things? 

“So . . . did you need any help before I clean this up? You seem a bit unsure about the selection here.” 

The boy quirked his lips to the side, looking around the shop. “Plants aren’t . . . really my thing.”

Phil’s eyebrows rose to the ceiling. “Plants are wonderful! Everything that’s here is something I’ve grown myself. I have tons of plants at home as well. I can help you, honestly. What is it you’re looking for?” 

Excitement rolled off of Phil in waves, startling Dan a bit. But he might as well take up his offer, as he really didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing. “Um . . . well . . . I just want to buy something.”

“Any reason?” Phil prodded. 

“For . . . my mum. It’s . . . her birthday.”

Phil smiled happily, his smile radiant. “Ah, lovely! Perhaps some daisies or roses? Does she have a preference?” 

“She’s not much of a flower fan, so I can’t really say.”

Phil knitted his brows. Neither of them liked flowers, yet he was here to buy some for her? “If she isn’t a flower fan, then why are you buying her flowers?” Phil asked.  
Dan’s eyes widened as if he had just been scolded for something. “I . . . I don’t . . .I just . . .”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Phil said when he saw Dan struggling for words. “I was just curious. Sometimes I say stupid things, so just ignore them. It’s the thought that counts anyhow. I say you get her some colorful daisies. I bet she’ll like those. Is that okay?”

Dan really had no idea what daisies even were, but he nodded his head. “Yeah.” 

“Great! I’ll go get you a dozen, and if that’s all you need, you can check out. I need to clean this up before more people come in here. Can’t have them stepping on broken pots, can we?”

The corners of Dan’s mouth lifted up as he shook his head no, and followed Phil to get these so called daisies.

To Dan’s surprise, the flowers were actually quite pretty. They were all different colors, varying in shades of pinks and blues and even greens. Also to Dan’s surprise, he asked Phil, “How do you grow these?”

Phil looked at him over his glasses, smiling. “Magic.”

Dan’s heart stuttered as he stopped short. Magic.

“No, I’m just kidding. It’s a family secret though, so I can’t tell you that.” 

Dan blew out a breath, relieved. Magic. What does this guy know about magic?

At the counter, Phil messed with the register, pushing a bunch of buttons before saying, “Those will be thirty pounds,” he said.

Christ. Thirty pounds!? For plants!? “O-okay,” Dan replied. He dug around in his pocket for his wallet, pulling out a crisp bill and some coins. He didn’t have much, as he didn’t work. Believe it or not, finding a job that lasted all night was kind of hard. “I, um . . .” Dan counted his money, coming up five pounds short. “This is all I have. I don’t have a job, so money is . . . a bit tight for me,” Dan admitted.

Phil looked at the money Dan had set on the counter, his eyes trailing up to Dan’s face. “Hmm. You can work here! I’m the only one who runs this shop, since it’s family owned and everything. I can use some help, if you want to?”

Dan pressed his lips together. “It’s a daytime job though.”

Phil chuckled. “Do you not like the daytime?” 

To Dan’s surprise, he shook his head. “Not really. I also don’t do very well in the daytime.” He pulled down his sleeves to cover his pale arms. It didn’t help that his whole head and neck were exposed, but covering up as much skin as he could, made him feel more secure about himself. 

“That’s funny,” Phil said, laughing. “I don’t do well in the nighttime.”

Complete opposites. That’s what they were. Now, what was it they said about opposites? They . . .

“Well, how about this,” Phil said, snapping his fingers. “I don’t close up until around ten at night, sometimes a little later depending on what holidays are around the corner. Why don’t you come in at sunset and stay until close?”

That didn’t sound too bad, but there was one slight problem. “I don’t know anything about plants.”

Phil huffed, waving his hand in dismissal. “That’s okay! You can learn. There’s not much to know, really. Just knowing what the plant is, in case someone is looking for it, is really all you need to know.”

Dan’s mouth quirked up. A job. He was about to have a real job for the first time in his life. It only took him twenty something years, but he was finally getting out there in the world. Man, his parents would be so happy. “Okay,” he said with a shaky breath. “I’ll work here.”

“Great!” Phil said, his face lighting up. “You can go ahead and take these flowers. I’ll just take the difference you owe me out of your first paycheck. Deal?” Phil held out his hand, waiting.

“Deal,” Dan said, grabbing Phil’s hand and sealing his fate.

“Cool. Start tomorrow? Just come in around six-ish, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Dan said, grabbing the bundle of flowers in front of him. Wow, I’m really doing this, he thought. 

“Sweet. See you tomorrow--Wait! What’s your name? That’s probably important for me to know.”

Dan smiled. “Dan. My name is Dan.”

“Dan,” Phil echoed. “Awesome. See you tomorrow then, Dan!”

“See you, Phil,” he said, leaving the shop with a big smile on his face. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so tired anymore. He had a feeling that was all because of Phil. 

***  
"A human!? You’re letting a human work in your shop that has magic leaking out of every corner?” Phil’s mum hissed as he told her the news that night. 

“He needs a job, mum. And I’m not going to deny him one, just because he isn’t magical like us. Plus, there’s something about him that’s so . . . endearing. I don’t know what it is, but he’s got this pull about him.”

“Phil,” his mum said with a heavy sigh. “You’re playing a risky game.”

“It’s not like I grow plants right in the middle of the shop. I do it in my room at home or in the private room in the back. I’ll tell Dan not to go in there. It’s fine.”

His mum clicked her tongue. “Dan? That’s his name? Phil, don’t tell me you hired him because he looks cute.”

“That’s not why I hired him,” Phil snapped. Though, he wouldn’t deny the fact that Dan was pretty cute. With his dark features and pale skin, he was like a dream. “He couldn’t afford some flowers for his mum since he doesn’t have a job, so I gave him one. He’s a bit peculiar, though.” 

“What do you mean?” his mum said, suddenly seeming more interested in what her son had to say.

“He doesn’t do well in the day. I think he’s allergic to the sun or something. His skin has no color and he looked like he just came out of the ground and walked into my flower shop.”   
“Yet he’s going to work in a place that requires the sun to thrive?” his mum asked.

“Well, I gave him evening into night shifts.” 

His mum sighed, getting up from the couch and hugging him. “Just be careful, Philip. I don’t want anything to go wrong for you.”

Phil squeezed her back, saying, “Don’t worry, mum. I got this. Dan will never know.”

***

As Dan waited for his mum to wake up that evening, he stared at his home. His bedroom as dark, save for the galaxy and array of stars that swirled and floated about. Often times, Dan liked to swipe his fingers through the galaxy, scattering the colors across his room. 

There was a soft knock at the door, and Dan made the galaxy disappear before his dad stepped inside. “Hey, Dan. You get your mother something for her birthday?”

“I did, actually. I got her something a little . . . different.” Dan didn’t know why but suddenly he was nervous to tell his dad what he got her. It’s not like he would be mad or anything. Just maybe a little curious and ask too many questions.

“Show me. She’s probably going to wake up shortly.”

Dan nodded, heading over to his dresser to grab the bundle of flowers he had bought hours ago. The stems at the bottom were still a bit wet from where they were sitting in water this morning.

“Flowers?” hid dad said, his voice laced with surprise. “Why flowers? They’ll die easily in here. Sunlight doesn’t get into this house. You know that, Dan.”

Dan’s heart sunk. “I know, but I just wanted to get her something different this year. We always get her the same stuff, so I thought I’d switch it up a bit.” 

His dad sighed. “We get her the same stuff because she likes it, Dan. She misses home, so we get her stuff to remind her of it.” 

“But that gets old,” Dan snapped, angry. “Our home looks the same as it did since you guys left it all those years ago. Nothing has changed. And if she wanted to be reminded of it, she could just have a look at it anytime she wanted.” Dan clenched his fists, crushing the stems under the pressure.

“Hey, watch it, Daniel,” his dad said, voice full of warning. “Control your anger, your eyes are shining.”

Dan turned his head to look in the mirror, and lo and behold, the ring around his pupils were glowing rather brightly. Dan hadn’t seen that for a long time, as he usually had no reason for his emotions to go wild. Dan was usually a calm boy, never one to get angry and anxious. “Sorry,” he muttered, trying to make his eyes go back to the dull brown they usually were. 

“What’s going on in here?” Dan’s mum said, suddenly appearing behind his dad. “Oh, Dan. What are those?” She gestured to the bundle of flowers in his hand.

“Um, they’re for you, actually. I saw them today and thought that maybe you would like the colors on them.” Well, more like Phil thought you would like the colors on them.  
“Oh, Dan! They’re so pretty!” She took the bundle out of his fists and smelled them. “Where did you get such pretty things?”

Dan felt his face heat up with a blush. “A flower shop. They had all kinds of things there. Speaking of which . . .”

“What?” both parents said simultaneously. 

“I . . . I actually got a job there. Working evenings and nights,” he added quickly. 

His mum gasped, right before a smile broke out across her face. “Dan, that’s wonderful!” She pulled him into a tight hug, laughing. “I’m, so happy for you. Oh, I’m so proud! Danny has finally gotten a job. Isn’t that great, honey?”

His dad grunted, leaving the room without another word.

“Don’t worry about him,” Dan’s mum said, pulling away. “He’s just a grump when he wakes up. He’s happy for you. I promise.”

If only that were true. Yes, Dan’s dad was always a grump for the first few hours of being awake, but Dan also knew his dad better than anyone. He wasn’t happy that Dan got a job. But just this once, Dan had wished he was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if formatting is shit. Copy and paste is garbage on this site :)

Being nervous was an understatement. Dan had slept for maybe three hours before he was wide awake, thinking about this evening. He knew nothing about plants. At all. Why in the hell did he decide to take this job? He should have said no. That would have been the smart thing to do, but he was too entranced by the black haired boy to even think straight. 

Phil’s probably working right now. He probably doesn’t even want me there. I bet he just felt bad that I didn’t have enough money for some simple flowers. 

But there was a voice, deep in the back of Dan’s mind that said, If he didn’t want you there, then he really wouldn’t’ have offered you the job in the first place. 

Dan supposed the other voice was right. Phil didn’t have to offer him a job. He didn’t even have to sell him those flowers. But he did.

Out of habit, Dan paced around his room, walking through the mini-galaxy and pushing the stars around. 

What if I get upset and my eyes glow?

What if I can’t control my magic and he sees it?

The thoughts whirled in his mind, and he tried to shove them far away. All these thoughts were ridiculous. If his magic was uncontrollable and random, he would have found out about it long before he was eighteen. He could control the stars and the galaxy, but he needed to work on his eyes. He never had practice with those, considering not too many outside forces riled him up.

Dan took extra time straightening his hair, and trying to find something that wasn’t so . . . black. Phil had been wearing green yesterday, and it fit him perfectly, but Dan wasn’t so sure he looked good in any color other than black. All he has ever known is dark colors. Lighter ones and pastels didn’t suit him. 

He settled on a light gray t-shirt, remembering how humid it was in the shop yesterday, and stuck to his usual black skinny jeans and black shoes. He messed with his fringe for about twenty minutes, before leaving his house and racing to the flower shop. 

Despite it being sunset, his skin burned from the last of its rays, and Dan’s hair was beginning to curl at the tips from sweating. 

Oi. This is going to be a long night. 

***  
Phil had made sure that all the plants he needed were already grown and put on display before Dan arrived. He didn’t want to risk his magic on the first day, so he had spent a majority of the day in the private room, growing them by magic. He was proud of his work, as usual, and planted them in pots and set them out for the night. He was fully stocked and ready to go. He just hoped Dan would be as well.

Phil paced the store, waiting to hear the familiar chime of the door. 

Maybe he chickened out. 

Maybe I scared him off. 

Oh, I hope not. I kind of liked him.

Phil was just about to conjure up another thought when the door was pushed open, and the familiar pale boy stepped inside, hair laced with sweat. 

“Did you run here?” Phil asked, slamming a hand over his mouth. 

Dan panted, shaking his head. “No. Just . . . the sun. It’s not my friend, remember?” 

Phil nodded, offering him a smile. “You hair curls, doesn’t it? I saw it beginning to yesterday, but you left before I could actually tell.”

Dan scowled and hung his head. “Yes, it curls. And I hate it. I just want it to stay straight for longer than five minutes when it gets hot.”

Phil chuckled, moving one strand back into position on Dan’s head. “Get used to it. This shop is kept at a toasty eighty-eight degrees, so your hair will curl like no tomorrow.” He began walking away, leaving Dan slightly breathless.

Holy shit, he just fixed my hair. 

Dan’s heart beat rapidly as he followed Phil through the store, listening to Phil as he told him what certain types of flowers were. He wasn’t going to lie, his brain wasn’t retaining a lot of information at the moment, and that wasn’t good news. He needed to know what Phil was talking about, but he couldn’t seem to fully pay attention. He was still hung up on the fact that Phil fixed his hair without even thinking twice about it.

“So, do you know what these are?” Phil suddenly asked, handing Dan a white flower. 

He grabbed it, inspecting the petals. It looked familiar, but he couldn’t place a name to it. “Um . . .”

“It’s okay if you don’t know,” Phil interrupted. “They’re daisies. Just white ones, unlike the kind I gave you yesterday.”

“Daises,” Dan repeated, placing the white flower back in the pot.

Phil smiled at him, grabbing another flower from nearby. “What about this? It’s a classic.”

It was a red flower, one that Dan had seen dozens of times on the telly and on advertisements. “A rose.”

“Yep! The most common kind, if you ask me. That’s what sell best here since it’s a symbol of love and all.” He rolled his eyes, placing the rose back where he got it.  
“We can learn about the actual plants tomorrow or something. I just thought I would teach you some basic flowers. The ones that most people come in here to buy.”

Dan nodded, his eyes wandering around the shop. There really were a lot of plants in here. How did he grow all of these? And where?

“You don’t talk much,” Phil pointed out. “Are you shy?” 

Dan snickered, looking at Phil. “It’s not that I’m shy . . .” he trailed off. “Just . . . I don’t ever talk to people. Just my parents.”

Phil’s mouth took the shape of an “O.” “So, like, since you and the sun don’t get along, do you stay inside all day?”

“Basically. Very rarely do I go somewhere during the day.”

“Are you allergic to the sun?” Phil asked. It was an honest question. Some people were allergic to the sun. The thought alone saddened Phil.  
Dan smiled. “I’m not allergic to you, so I’m going to have to disagree.”

Whoa. Phil’s heart beat rapidly. “You just called me the sun,” he said blatantly.

“I did,” Dan said, agreeing. “You’re wearing yellow and your personality is very bright. Much like that giant star.”

Phil blushed, and he hoped his cheeks weren’t too red. “You’re like a star, too. Just not the yellow one. Maybe like the ones you see at night that twinkle in the darkness. Your skin glows like one.”

Dan’s heart leaped to his throat. They were both complete opposites, yet shared one similarity: the resemblance of stars. Funny how the universe worked out that way.   
“Thanks,” Dan said, heat creeping up his neck. 

They both stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. They were subtly flirting with each other, which was a new concept to Dan. Phil had a bit of experience in the romance department, but nothing too major. He’d had girlfriends and boyfriends before, but those were just petty relationships. He’d had sex before with his last boyfriend, but they broke up about a month after. That’s as far as he had gotten in any relationship.

“So,” Phil said, breaking the awkward silence. “How about I get you an apron and make this job official?”

“Okay, sounds good,” Dan said, clearing his throat. He followed Phil to the counter, where he pulled out a dusty looking box. 

“No one ever works here, so the aprons might be a bit stiff. But a good wash or two will fix that right up. Plus wearing it will loosen it up.”

Dan grabbed a dark green apron from the box, tying it around his waist. It was a bit stiff, but it wasn’t bothersome.

A few customers came into the shop, one of them requesting a bundle of tulips.

“Dan, why don’t you show them where the tulips are?” Phil said suggestively, raising one brow at him.

Dan swallowed the thick lump in his throat, forcing himself to nod. He began to walk away, the woman behind him following.

I have no fucking idea what tulips look like. Shit, I shouldn’t have taken this job. 

Dan slowly made his way down each aisle, looking for these so called tulips. Most of the plants had little signs stuck in them, but since he worked at this place, he should know where they were off hand. Then again, it was only his first day. 

“Son,” the woman behind him said. “The tulips are three aisles down. I get them here often.” Her smile was sweet and understanding, but still, Dan felt embarrassed.   
“I’m s--sorry. It’s my first day here and I--”

“Don’t worry about it, dear. I thought you were new. Phil is the only one that’s worked here for years, so to see another guy in a similar apron, says a lot to me. He must really like you, if he offered you a job here.” 

Dan laughed nervously. “I only met him yesterday.” How could Phil possible like him so quickly?

“First impressions say a lot to someone. Phil has always had a good intuition when it came to people. Trust me, if he thinks you’re good, then you must be. Trust Phil. He knows what he’s doing.” 

At that, Dan smiled. He took the lady three aisles over, like she said, and there, at the end, were the tulips.

“Thanks, dear. You were a big help,” she said, winking.

Dan laughed, and when he turned around, he bumped into Phil. “Oof! Sorry!” Dan said quickly, grabbing Phil by the shoulders to steady him.

Phil laughed, his tongue poking out between his teeth. “It’s fine. Hey! You found the tulips!”

“Yeah, but--”

“He’s a good worker,” the woman cut in. “Knew right where the tulips were and everything.”

Dan wanted to correct Phil, but he wasn’t able to get a word in, for Phil said, “I knew you’d be a fast learner. Come on, there’s more I need to show you.”

Phil walked away, and Dan followed, looking back at the lady who wanted the tulips. She smiled at Dan, showing all her teeth, and winking at him, just before he turned the corner and left her to pick out her bundle.

______________________________________________________________________________  
“These giant things are called ferns,” Phil said, spinning the basket that hung from the ceiling. “They don’t need a lot of water, just when they start to feel dry. But I have a sprinkler system here for them that waters them when they need it, so we don’t have to worry about them dying.”

Dan nodded, pretending like he knew what Phil was talking about. Dan would never remember that the plant was called a fern, but he just might, considering the whole time he thought it looked like weed. Well, the weed they show on the telly, anyways. 

“Do you have any questions for me so far?” Phil said, spinning around and clasping his hands behind his back.

Dan shook his head. Liar. 

“Great! But don’t be afraid to ask questions, okay, Dan? I don’t expect you to remember everything right now. That’ll take some time.”

Dan wished he could voice the questions he had, but he was too scared. He didn’t want to seem like some seclusive noob who knew nothing of the earth. Truth be told, he didn’t really know much about the earth. Space was his home and his life, and that’s all he really knew about. Which was silly, considering he had never even lived there. But his parents did, once. And they taught him what they knew. Now it was Phil’s turn to teach him what he knew. 

“Let’s take a break and chat!” Phil said, once they made a whole round in the store. They were back at the front desk now, and Phil hopped up on the counter. “So. What do you do in your free time?” 

What was this? A getting to know you session? “Uh, not much. Be lazy. Browse the internet.” Create a replica of outer space in my bedroom most days. You know, the usual. “What about you?”

“Mostly the same, actually. Except I do spend quite a few hours a day, tending to my plants. Well, the ones at home, anyway. Those don’t have automatic sprinklers,” he laughed.   
“You have plants at home too?” Dan asked, raising a brow.

“Of course! They’re my personal plants. You can never have too many plants. What do you have too much of?”

Dan wasn’t sure he had too much of anything. But then he remembered what his dad said about getting mum the same stuff every year for her birthday. “Probably too much space stuff.”

“You mean outer space? I didn’t know you had a thing for the galaxy! What’s your favorite thing about space?” Phil asked.

Whoa. Someone was actually asking Dan about space. Someone that wasn’t from there or his parents. This was new for him. “Um . . . I don’t know. Maybe the way galaxies look? With the purples and blues swirling together to make something so vast and beautiful, how could you not like it?” Just thinking about it made Dan’s heart warm. He loved his home. 

Phil hummed. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a galaxy.”

“What?” Dan screeched. If he could, he would show Phil the galaxy he could create right now. But alas, he couldn’t. He was never meant to show anyone what he could do. “Haven’t you ever . . . looked one up on Google or something?” 

“Nope,” Phil said, shaking his head. “I’ve always been more in touch with the earth, so that’s all I really know about. Oh! Here’s an idea. Since I’m teaching you about plants, why don’t you teach me about space? It’s a fair trade! Knowledge for knowledge.”

“Are you actually interested in learning about it?” Dan asked, a bit skeptical. 

“Yes! I know nothing about outer space, and think it would be cool to learn. Surely there are far more amazing things up there than there is down here.”

If only he knew. “If you really want to know, then okay. I can try telling you some things.” Though, Dan wasn’t sure how great he’d be at doing that. He’s never taught anyone before.

“Sweet! How about we do that tomorrow? The shop is closed on Sunday’s, so we can hang out all day or something.”

Dan gulped. All day?! He couldn’t hang out in the day. 

Phil must have seen Dan’s nervousness, as he quickly said, “Or night.We can hang out all night. I forgot about the sun thing. My apologies.”

“It’s okay,” Dan said, forcing a smile. “I’m just weird.”

“No, not weird,” Phil said, looking Dan up and down. “Unique. That’s what you are.” A slow smile stretched its way across Phil’s lips, causing Dan to blush.

I’m unique.   
______________________________________________________________________________

As soon at Dan got home close to eleven p.m., he passed out. Now, usually he would have just woken up an hour prior, but he was exhausted. Phil’s bubbly personality and all the learning he did today, took quite a toll on him.

Around three in the morning, his mum came into his room and woke him up. “Dan, I want to talk to you.”

Dan groaned into his pillow, rolling over and facing the wall. “Later.”

“No, Daniel. There is no later. I want to talk to you while your father is at work.”

With a sigh, Dan rolled back over so he was facing his mum. He cracked his eyes open, letting her know he was listening.

“It’s about your job,” she began. “Why did you take it?”

Dan knitted his brows. “What do you mean? I took it because I needed money and he offered it to me. I thought you wanted me to have a job?”

“I do,” she said quickly. “But why did you take one so . . . earth related? And one that’s only open during the daytime? You know your skin won’t do well under the sun.”  
“I’m not working outside,” Dan said. “It’s an indoor job. And I go in at sunset. I’m not in the sun for long.” 

“Okay,” his mum said, drawling out the word. “But I just don’t get why you chose that specific job. You’ve never tried too hard to get one before. What changed?”

Dan sighed. She was really pushing it, wasn’t she? “Like I said, he offered it to me, and you tell me all the time that I should get one. Why are you being so different now?”

“I'm just curious, Dan. I know when my son has a change of attitude, and I’d like to know what caused it. Do you know this boy? The one who offered you a job?”

“No.”

“Tell me about him,” she said. “Please.”

Annoyed, Dan sat up. He was in his twenties, yet his mum wanted to know every detail about his life. “His name is Phil, he’s older than me, and his business is family owned. He’s nice, happy to be around, and he doesn’t judge me based off my looks and attitude. It’s a calm place to work. Not too busy, and not too slow. It’s good for a first time job.” He plopped back down, his head hitting the pillow. 

“So you work there for him,” she said.

A growl ripped from Dan’s throat. “No, that’s not why I work there. That’s not even what I said! Did you take away anything I just said, other than the fact that Phil is nice?”   
“Excuse you,” his mum said, scolding. “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m still your mother, and you’ll treat me as such.”

“Then quit being so pushy,” Dan said, really testing her limits. “I want to have a life outside of this home. Isn’t that why you wanted me to be born on Earth? So I can experience everything it had to offer?” 

His mum didn’t have an answer. She choked on her words, her expression softening. “I just worry about you, honey. I’m sorry.”

“Do you worry about me? Or do you worry about me exposing our secret?” Dan snapped. 

His mum sighed, unanswering. Dan felt her weight be lifted off the bed, and his door clicked shut. He knew he upset her, but he had enough. His mum needed to trust him. Dan knew what he was doing. 

For the most part.


	4. Chapter 4

Phil had spent a majority of his night tossing and turning and unable to sleep. He was slightly nervous about hanging out with Dan the following evening, though he felt like he shouldn’t be. He had worked with him all night, and even held a decent conversation with him. There was nothing to be nervous about, in his opinion.

Besides, he thought, I’ll be learning about what he likes. Surely that will be fun for me.

And truthfully, it should be. He wanted to know what Dan liked. Obviously it was outer space, since that’s what Dan said, but Phil always liked seeing people talk about what they were passionate about. The look on their faces was one of happiness, and happiness was a rare occurrence in this world. Though, Phil was rarely ever sad. But he had his parents to thank for that. They gave him a good and happy life.

Phil managed to get at least four hours of sleep in before actually getting up and ready for the day, and he decided that it would have to do. He showered to become more awake, and put on brighter colored clothes as well. He still had to wait the whole day before he got to see Dan, but being ready a little early never hurt anybody. And besides, he had some work to do today.

The store was closed on Sunday’s, but Phil still had to go in and make sure certain plants got watered. And he usually spent some time growing new things to keep the stock looking alive. The roses were beginning to wilt a bit, which surprised Phil, considering everything he grew himself, typically stayed alive longer than traditional growing. Call it his magic or whatever, but he liked that his plants stayed alive for so long. It’s what keeps customers coming back. Quality is key.

In the private room in the back of the store, Phil ripped open a new bag of soil and dumped the contents onto the large table in the center of the room. The hose was still unwound from yesterday, so his water source was fine.

While Phil decided what he wanted to grow today, he spread out the soil evenly, humming a tune as he did so.

I definitely need more roses, but what else can I grow?

Phil was unsure of what he wanted, so he just began to think about roses of all colors. First some red ones sprouted, followed by white and then yellow. Phil wished he could make them multicolored, or even purple or green, but some people might question how he did it, and he couldn’t quite say, “I grew them with my own thoughts and magic.” It just didn’t work out like that.

He cut them at the bottom of the stems and bundled them up, sticking them in large vases of water to be put on display for tomorrow. Phil was sure to grow a few extra things, such as lilacs and sunflowers, before scraping together the last of the soil, and putting it on a small container to use for next time. He cut off the hose, winding it back up, and leaving the room, only to run into his mum.

“Oops, sorry! I didn’t know you were out here,” Phil said, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Locking it was his mum’s request. Especially after she found out he hired Dan to work at the store.

“Phil, I want to talk,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

Well, this can’t be good. “About what?”

“The boy you hired. Dan?”

“What about him?” Phil asked a bit too defensively.

His mum raised a brow, but said nothing of his tone. “Don’t you think it’s a little dangerous to have an outsider work here? I mean, he’s just a regular boy. What if he finds out about your magic? Our magic.”

“He won’t,” Phil said. “He has no reason to. And it’s not like I just use my magic wherever I want. I limit it to the private room and home.” It would be quite stupid to use it out in public, anyway. To just have random plants start sprouting out of the earth, would probably freak a load of people out.

“I still don’t like it,” his mum said. “I want to meet him. Get to know him and all.”

Phil scoffed. “Mum, I literally just hired him. Can’t you wait a while? What if he quits? Then you have no reason to worry.” Honestly, Phil didn’t suspect Dan to quit his job. He had no reason to. Not only that, but Dan was really shy. He didn’t talk much to Phil, and he didn’t talk to any customers yesterday, so meeting Phil’s mum--the founder of the store--would probably scare him. And Phil did not want to scare him.

“What if he doesn’t?” she countered.

“Then you can meet him. Give it a week. Actually, give it two. If he’s still here, then I’ll bring him over for dinner or something, okay?”

His mum didn’t look too pleased by his request, but she agreed to it anyway. “Fine. But you have a week and a half. Then I want him over for dinner. I don’t trust outsiders, and you know that.”

“I know,” Phil said, rolling his eyes. He always hated talking about “outsiders.” Did his mum expect him to go his whole life without having a relationship with anyone? Simply because they weren’t like him? Hopefully not, because Phil wasn’t having that. If he met someone he liked, he was going to be with them. Even if they were and “outsider.”

“Just . . . be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She fixed Phil’s fringe, making sure all strands were at one side. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you too,” Phil said, pulling her in for a hug. “But I’ll be careful. I always am.”

“I know. I trust you, Phil. I just get worried a lot.”

Phil chuckled, pulling away from his mum. “Believe me, I know.”

His mum laughed, swiping Phil on the shoulder. She loved her son, that much was clear. But she also knew what else lied around in this world, and she didn’t want Phil to find out. Not if she could help it.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dan woke back up close to five pm, and he immediately hopped out of bed and rushed to shower. How could he have slept for so long? Especially knowing what he was about to face tonight?

A night alone. With Phil.

He wasn’t prepared. Hell, he was all kinds of nervous. He had been ever since Phil suggested they hang out tonight. So how was it that he was able to sleep so easily and undisturbed? Dan clearly remembered his mum coming in and having a chat with him earlier, and no one must have checked on him after that. He could have been as good as dead, and no one seemed to care.

Well, that’s not entirely true, Dan thought. His parents loved him. A lot. They gave up their home in the sky to give their child the best they could, and what does he do? Be ungrateful for it. He tries to appreciate what his parents have done for him, but he always comes up short. He feels out of place on earth. Which, he is, but he wonders what it’s like to be wanted. To be normal. Creating other worlds, being able to float, and having skin the color of the stars, made him an easy target for judgmental people.

Except, Phil never judged Dan for looking different. Of course, he couldn’t speak for the other parts of him that Phil didn’t know about, but Phil never made a comment about how weird he looked. He did, however, ask if he was allergic to the sun, which is pretty close to saying, “Why is your skin so weird?” but Dan didn’t count that as rude. It was a honest and polite enough question to ask someone with discolored skin.

Dan used a blow dryer on his hair so he could quickly straighten it, and grabbed a black shirt and wore his black skinny jeans. He never had a problem with wearing the color black, but ever since he saw Phil in those bright colors he seemed to like wearing, Dan questioned his wardrobe more times than he cared to admit. Maybe he should add a few colors here and there. It wouldn’t hurt.

“Dan?” a sleepy voice called out from his bedroom door.

Dan turned around to see his mum there, looking like she just woke up. “Mum?”

“I thought you didn’t work on Sunday’s?” She yawned, folding her arms across her chest.

“I don’t,” Dan said, not ready to tell her the next part. “But Phil wanted me over so he could teach me a few things.” He lied. Dan just lied, which is something he had never done to his parents before. Even as a little kid, he never told a lie. But there was no way in hell he was going to tell his mum he was actually going to hang out with Phil so he could teach him about space. She would freak out.

“Oh,” she said breathlessly. “Okay. When will you be home?”

Dan shrugged. “Before sunrise, most likely. Well, probably a lot earlier than that. Phil’s a human. He runs on human hours.” And Dan highly doubted that Phil was one to stay up until the sun rose. That’s what time he usually woke up. Not went to bed.

“Alright. Have fun and be careful,” she said. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” Dan offered her a small smile, which she returned before retreating out of his room.

Dan felt awful for lying to her, but it had to be done. Dan was told to never talk about space with other people, because there were things Dan knew about it that humans did not. And if he told the wrong thing to the wrong person . . . Well. It wouldn’t turn out good.

Dan didn’t realize it, but his feet were hovering slightly off the ground. He willed himself to get back in touch with the gravity, landing softly back on his carpet. Weird, he thought. I haven’t floated in a long, long time. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had flown through the house with his unique power. 

Out of nowhere, a flashback hit him.

“Look at me, mummy! I’m flying! I’m like an owl!” Dan squealed, flying up to the ceiling.

His mum laughed, raising her arms up. “That’s nice, Dan, but please come down. I don’t want you up that high.”

Dan frowned, his lips quivering. “But flying is fun.”

“Flying is dangerous,” she corrected sternly. “Now come down.”

Dan pursed his lips, pouting. He was only trying to have some fun, which he rarely ever got. It was always “this is dangerous” and “that is dangerous.” Well, if the world was so dangerous, why live down here in the first place?

Dan’s anger got the better of him, and before he knew it, he was falling. He nearly hit the floor with a loud thud, but his mum caught him before he could land. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he started sobbing.

“Oh, Daniel,” his mum crooned. “You’re okay. It’s okay. You’re safe now. You always will be in my arms.”

But if Dan would have listened, he wouldn’t have nearly gotten hurt in the first place. “I’m sorry, mummy. I didn’t mean to--”

“Shh, it’s okay. Now you know not to do it again, right?”

“Right,” Dan said, agreeing. His mum wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed him gently on the forehead.

That was the last time Dan had left the ground.

Dan didn’t understand why his emotions were getting the better of him lately. It didn’t make sense. He never had a problem with gravity or his eyes before now, and he hardly could blame that on Phil. He’s only interacted with him twice. There’s no way two interactions could alter his life like that. No way.

I need to get myself in check before things get bad.

Indeed, Dan needed to. But that might prove to be difficult, considering all the hours he spent at home, sleeping, were going to be counteracted with working at Phil’s plant shop.

There was no time to learn to control himself. Dan just hoped that Phil wouldn’t do anything to make his emotions go out of whack.

**Author's Note:**

> Look for chapter two soon! I'll probably have it up this Sunday. I update to my Tumblr first, then I put it on here


End file.
